The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-03-19
Some old Papers.

Mr.. George IL. Gehr, MS son-in-la" anu Cos"
Ter of the bank, came across some ietterS
and papers that tell OF by gone days, anu
events that are beyond the recollection OF the
oldest inhabitants Names of persons are
mentioned in some Of them, whose grandsons
are now among the Oldest inhabitants. Mr.
Gehr handed them over TO the ADVOCATE for
inspection, and we viii tell something OF them
to our readers:
The first and oldest one, was dated West
minister, March 10, IVA, and was an order
from Matthias loop to David Shriver, for HIM
to deliver the deeds of the house in Westmin-
ster he sold to l. S. Pole, upon the delivery
by said Pole of his bond for &55, and MI
Masters writing you he willy pay SAID l.
S. Poles bond in case he don't return IN that
time,r the first of the following October, Inc
David Shriver spoken ofwas the grandfather
of Mr.. Augustus Shriver, and of Mr.. Francls
Shriver, of this city. The chIrography OF
this note is excellent.
Another of the old papers was the notih-
cation to Mr.. David Shriver of his appoint
ment as a Senator of Maryland, as follows;
..Sir, / have the honor to inform you that
you were this day appointed aSenator OF Ma
ryland. As the Senate have but quorum
YOUR immediate attendance is requested.
have the honor to be with sentiments OF re-
spect, your obi sit.
RIcHARD HAYWOOD,
Annanolis. President Senate.
November 10th, 1904.
Among the papers were two tax receipts
One was the assessment for 1888, against
Benedict Swope, for "JehR's Luck" part OF
Bonds Meadow and other property, all
amounting to e293, aud the tax was about 40
shillings Bonds Meadow, spoken OF, was a
large tract of land, and included the land
Il. Il 10 mr.
The other was a receipt for seventy i've
cents for David Shriver, Jr., of the third dis
trict in the county of Frederick, and dis.
trict of Maryland, Gentleman, upon two
wheel carriage, called chaise, owned by him,
having top, to be drawn by one or more
horses, for the conveyance of one person, for
three months commencing on July /, 1901. "
II was signed "John Richie, collector of rev.
enue, second division, Survey No. 2, Mary
land"
The next oldest paper is letter to David
Shriver, Jr., uncle of Augustus Shriver, to
his father, David Shriver, who was then in
the Senate 1t was dated December BIRD,
1906, and was in reference to division OF
Frederick county. Some of the citizens OF
Baltimore county petitioned the legislature
for a division of that county, and the people
of this section of Frederick county also
made move for new county. The letter
contained a list Of subscribers. to a
fund for the erection of court house and
iail The subscribers, and the amounts sub
scribed, are given as follows, the figures mean :
ing dollars: Jacob Sherman 400; VIM. Dur
bin, ST., 60, David Fisher 800, Ludwick
Wampler 300, John Yingling $50, Jacob Pow
der 100, James McHafie 100, Murray Shil-
ling 100, Jacob Utz 40, Josias Stevenson 80,
Daniel Weaver 46, Lewis Weaver 20, David
Keefer so, John Logsdon 100, jacob Copen.
haver 80, David Barnhart 20, Richard Cor
such 70, Abraham Curtis 20, Thomas Wells
100, John Cassell so, John Diefenback 100,
Michael Waggoner 100, John Coe, so, Joseph
Hawkins 10, Jacob Hartman 40, Leonard
Zenn 80. John Matthias 100, Ulrick Akler 100,
Peter Rover 100, = Cover 70, Nicholas
Lemon IS, Daniel AFTER, ST., 100, Henry
Brown so, Andrew Powder 40, John Waggo-
ner 100, Abraham Richards 30 Jacob Erin
ger so. The letter went on to state that the
writer's own subscription, j. Wampler, Jo-
seph Wells, Gist, Van Bibber and others,
would swell the amount to upwards of S8OO0
Nothing came of the scheme.
The Jacob Sherman spoken of laid out
Westminster from Court Street to where
Derrs store now stands; VIM. Durbin was the
chief business man of this section; Ludwick
Wampler owned Airhart Winters mill and a
paper mill lower down; John Yingling was
the grandfather of Richard and the late Joshua
Yingling; Jacob Powder was the father of the
late Jacob Powder, prominent politician,
and grandfather of John D. Powder; James
McHaffie was the first president of the Bank
of Westminster, now Union National Bank,
which was established in 1916; David Keefer
was the father of James. Keefer, who died
recently in Westminster at an advanced age:
John Logsden owned the Cassell property at
the ''Forks'' at the West End; Richard Cor
such was large land owner on the Cor
such road; Thomas Wells owned the 0rndorff
mill property, near Westminster; John DIFF
fenbaugh was the grandfather of John I. DIFF
fenbaugh; Leonard Zepp was the father of
Lawrence Zepp; John Matthias was the grand
father of Col. John f. Matthias; Ulrick Aklef
was the father of Mrs. John S. Murray, the
oldest person in Westminster, and lived
where James E. Smith now resides, corner of
Main and Church streets; Nicholas l5emon,
lived on the opposite oprner, where William
Oursler resides; Andrew Powder was a we'll
known tanner in his day; Jacob Frlnger was
grandfather of George and DIR. w. X.
Fringer.
1t will thus be seen that the formation of a
new county in this section was subject long
talked of before its contamination, and the
subscription for county buildings shows that
tie people were in earnest.
The next old papers are letters to COL ia
cob Shriver, all bearing date of 1929, who was
then in the House of Delegates. Jacob
Shriyer, as above noted, was father Of the
late Augustus Shriver. In those days. enyel-
opes were unknown, and postage was quite
an item-from ten cents up. Postage stamps
were not used, and the postage was generally
collected at the Office of delivery.
One letter was from Jacob Matthias, father
of Col. John I. Matthias, enclosing petition
from citizens of Manchester, to be presented
to the executive. The postage on it was 20
cents. The other letter was from Col. John
Wampler, father of William Wampler, enclos
ing petition for bridge over the Monocacy
at Miler's Ford. 1t bore the signatures OF
Jacob Reese, John Wampler, Isaac Shriver,
Jacob Matthias, NJ. Barnitz, William Willis
and Will Shipley. The postage was 10 cents.
If the members of the legislature of the
present day had to pay postage on letters and
petitions at the rate paid sixty years ago, most
of their salary would be consumed in postage.
The next and last letter was from Will
Shirley, afterwards the editor Of the first
Democratic paper established in Carroll
county, relative to charter for railroad to
be called the Baltimore & Westminster Rail-
road, with draft of the charter. The writer
says 1t is similar to the charter OF the Balt-
more & Susquehanna Railroad (now the
Northern Central. The capital stock was to
be 100000, with power to increase it to ST.
600, 900, aud the road was to connect with
either the Baltimore h 5usquehauna or the
Baltimore & Ohio. 1t was also to be run to
the Monocacy and to have branch at Han
over. The writer then went on to say:
This act of incorporation presented itself
as the most likely mode to oounteraot event
ually the effect of the Frederick Canal on
trade to the City of Baltimore through this
little village. My idea is that as soon as the
canal shall have been completed three-fourths
of the trade to Baltimore from the neighbor-
hood of Monocacy, Pipe Creek, and of the
State of Pennsylvania west of us, will find
market in the District (of Columbia) by way
of this canal, unless the same advantages are
offered them by an equal mode of transporta-
ton to the City of Baltimore.
The canal was never built, and the railroad
to Westminster was completed just thirty one
years after its building was first agitated by
the citizens of this section. The projectors
have gone to their long rest, and we are en-
joying the benefits Of the improvements their
energies started. We, of this generation, are
setting on foot schemes for advancement and
improvement that will not be consummated
until future generations shall take our places.